An Insignificant Case

Chapter Twenty-Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Charlie spent the early part of the next day at police headquarters telling a homicide detective everything he could remember about the shoot-out at Guido’s farm. When he finished, he went to his office.

Elin Crane was sitting on a couch in the reception area. Before he could go to her, his receptionist stood up and stared.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “It was all over the TV and the internet that someone tried to kill you.”

“I’m fine,” Charlie said as several of the lawyers, secretaries, and paralegals in the suite crowded around him and wouldn’t drift off until he assured them that he was in one piece.

Charlie started to talk to Elin, but the receptionist interrupted him.

“Mr. Webb, Mr. Roman called several times. He wanted you to call him as soon as you got in. He said it’s urgent.”

Elin stood up. “Do you have a moment to meet with me?”

“I do, but I have to make a call first. Can you wait?”

“I can come back.”

“No, wait. This won’t take long.”

Charlie shut his office door. He was sure he knew why his cocounsel was calling. He’d acted impulsively when he’d met with Bridget Fournier and asked the DA to come to Sabatini’s farm. It had dawned on him when he was home and safe that he should have called Roman before talking to Bridget.

“The shoot-out is all over the news. Are you okay?” Roman said when they were connected.

“Miraculously, yes.”

“They said that you went to Guido’s farm with Fournier.”

“That’s right.”

“So, the reporters got it right? You took the person in charge of sending our client to death row to talk to him?”

“Uh, well, I had an idea.”

“A fucking bad, awful idea. What were you thinking, and why didn’t you run it by me? That’s what cocounsels are for. We’re supposed to tell you that the idea you thought was so brilliant is really, really stupid.”

“You’re right. I went off half-cocked.”

“What were you trying to do?”

“I thought Bridget could convince Guido to turn over the evidence he took from Hall’s safe, and we could make a deal.”

“Jesus, Charlie. Did you think Fournier would let Guido walk?”

Charlie felt awful. “I guess I didn’t think it through. I was more worried about getting Guido out of danger.”

“And how did that work out?”

“I fucked up, okay? From now on, I won’t do anything without talking it over with you. I promise.”

Charlie heard Roman take a deep breath.

“What’s done is done,” Roman said. “I’m glad you’re alive. Meanwhile, I have my associates working up a jury questionnaire and working on some legal issues that might come up. We’ll meet soon.”

Charlie ended the call. He felt like a fool. What had he been thinking? It was becoming crystal clear that he had no business being within a thousand miles of a death penalty murder case.

Suddenly, Charlie remembered that Elin Crane was waiting to see him. He buzzed his receptionist and told her to show Elin to his office.

“I wanted to tell you that my problems with the stalker seem to be over,” Elin said when she was seated across from Charlie. “I haven’t seen or heard from him since we met, so it looks like I won’t need the restraining order.”

“That’s great,” Charlie said, trying to sound enthusiastic even though this meant that Elin wasn’t going to be a client.

Elin hesitated. Charlie thought she looked nervous.

“Actually, there’s another reason I came in today,” she said. “I heard about what happened at that farm, and I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Thanks for asking. I was shaken up, but I wasn’t hurt.”

“Is Mr. Sabatini okay?”

Charlie laughed. “While the bullets were flying, and everyone was ducking for cover, he kept painting.” He shook his head. “Guido is completely insane.”

“Why is someone trying to kill him?”

“I can’t get into details, but Guido came into possession of some things that are a threat to some very powerful people.”

“Does this have something to do with the sex trafficking case?”

“What makes you think that?”

Elin shrugged. “Mr. Sabatini is accused of killing two of the people who were charged in that case.”

“The items might have some relevance to that case, but I really can’t say anything more.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so nosy.”

“That’s okay.”

“Mr. Sabatini’s case is your first murder trial, isn’t it?” Elin asked.

“Yeah.”

“Is it hard, defending someone who could go to prison for the rest of his life?”

“I’m not enjoying myself. Quite frankly, it’s more responsibility than I want, but I have to do it because I don’t think Guido killed anyone.”

“It must help to have someone like Henry Roman on your team.”

“Most definitely. I really don’t have the experience to try the case on my own.”

Elin paused. She looked uncomfortable. “I had another reason I wanted to see you today.”

“Oh?”

“I had a really weird idea. I was a journalism major, and I’m really good at research, and I was thinking that I might be able to help you with Mr. Sabatini’s case.”

Charlie looked alarmed. “You’re not a reporter, are you?”

“Oh, no. I’m not doing a story, and I’d never stab you in the back by getting information from you and selling it to a paper.”

Charlie flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything.”

“No apology necessary. I can see where learning I was a journalism major could freak you out.”

It suddenly dawned on Charlie that he would be able to see Elin every day if he accepted her offer of help.

“I couldn’t pay you,” he said.

“Oh, I wasn’t thinking of getting paid. I told you that I was thinking of going to law school, but I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do. Working on a murder case would give me real insight into what it would be like to be a lawyer. That’s why I want to help you.”

“Well, okay. Let’s try it out,” Charlie said, thrilled that he would have an excuse to be with Elin. “I think there’s a small office that no one is using. I’ll ask the managing partner if you can work there.”

Elin flashed a wide smile. “Thank you, Mr. Webb. I really appreciate you letting me do this.”

Charlie returned the smile. “If we’re working together, it’s Charlie.”

Elin left, and Charlie ran through his voice messages. He deleted most of them because they were from reporters. He was almost through his emails when his receptionist told him that Guido Sabatini was in the waiting room.

Charlie didn’t want to deal with his client, but he couldn’t send him away. He sighed and told the receptionist to send Guido back. Moments later, Guido walked into Charlie’s office holding a small painting in front of him.

“What are you doing here? Where are your guards?”

“Two nice policemen escorted me here. They are in the waiting room.”

“Didn’t they tell you to stay on the farm?”

“Of course, but they checked with their superiors and were told that I had a constitutional right to confer with you.”

Charlie sighed. “What is that?” he asked, pointing at the painting.

“Your office is so drab that I want to brighten it up with this sunny view of Venezia.”

Guido walked to an empty space above Charlie’s bookcase and held up a colorful view of the Grand Canal. Charlie thought it was beautiful, and there was no question that his office was pretty boring.

“Thanks, Guido. I appreciate the gift.”

Guido had brought nails, hooks, and a hammer. When he finished hanging the painting, he beamed.

“It looks great,” Charlie said. “But it’s hanging in my office, where no one else can see it. Am I safe?”

Guido laughed. “I promise I will not liberate it.”

Charlie smiled. “So, I won’t have to ramp up my security?”

“Not on account of me, Mr. Webb. And now I must return to my studio. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

As soon as the door shut behind Guido, Charlie walked over to the painting. Guido had gotten the light just right. Charlie sighed. Guido was a pain in the ass, but he was one hell of an artist, and his gift had lifted Charlie’s spirits.

Then he remembered that he would be seeing Elin Crane every day. Yesterday had been the worst day of Charlie’s life, but today was turning out okay.